How do I remove the drivers door window?

[TraceZ]

I need to know how to get the drivers door window out of my car.

Any instructions??

[dochidalgo]

Hi TrazeZ:
Here is the link from Rob (shoebox web page):

http://shbox.com/page/windowmotor.html

Regards
Doc

[TraceZ]

Hi TrazeZ:
Here is the link from Rob (shoebox web page):

http://shbox.com/page/windowmotor.html

Regards
Doc

Thanks, but I need to get out the entire window, not just the motor.

[Z Ya Later]

If its like the windows for my Jeep, its a PITA. Basically, you have to seperate the window itself from the piece it rests on, but you'll have to re-adhere it to the piece when putting it back in. I don't know if you can actually pull the window and support arm piece out as an assembly.

[TruckMuddr]

Try this.


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[TraceZ]

Thanks Richard. That was what I needed.

Incase you didnt know I'm replacing the drivers door on my car. The new one arrived today fully assembled. I needed to take it apart so it could be preped and painted. With the diagram and direction you posted I was able to get it completely disassembled. The secret was drilling out the 3 rivets holding the window.

First I used Rob's instructions to remove the power window motor. Once the motor was out, the window moved up and down easily by hand. I positioned the window about half way down and drilled out the three rivets holding it. The window came right out. I then removed the remaining guides and tracks. The fiberglass door shell is now completely bare. It needs some minimal fiberglass touchup work and it will be good as new, ready to paint and install.

I now have an extra drivers door window. Anyone need one?

The hardest part was cleaning it all up. The moisture barrier is stuck in with some really gunky black stuff and the door jamb stickers were a pain to remove. BTW.. this door is from a 2001 SS. The SLP sticker was on the door jamb dated 2000. I also had to remove the window tint from the glass. Thank gor for mineral spirits. Combine all that with grease from the window tracks, metal filings from the drilled rivets and fiberglass from the holes to remove the window motor and I'm a really itchy messy boy right now.

[ONLNTM5]

My 2 cents-
Here is an inexpensive way to replace the plastic moisture barrier in the door. First get some poster board (2 pcs. taped together) to make a tracing of the old moisture barrier. Once you have the tracing done, cut the pattern out. Then you need some plastic to replace the old one. You can usually find some thick plastic (not exactly the same though), in the fabric dept. of some stores, like Walmart, etc., that you can use to retrace the pattern to. BTW, its a lot easier to use a poster board pattern, instead of trying to trace it directly to the new plastic. Anyway, cut out the new plastic piece, and just use clear box tape to attach it back to the door (make sure you have cleaned all of the black sealant off of the door first). By using the clear tape, it is a lot easier to apply, and its easier to remove again.

[TraceZ]

My 2 cents-
Here is an inexpensive way to replace the plastic moisture barrier in the door. First get some poster board (2 pcs. taped together) to make a tracing of the old moisture barrier. Once you have the tracing done, cut the pattern out. Then you need some plastic to replace the old one. You can usually find some thick plastic (not exactly the same though), in the fabric dept. of some stores, like Walmart, etc., that you can use to retrace the pattern to. BTW, its a lot easier to use a poster board pattern, instead of trying to trace it directly to the new plastic. Anyway, cut out the new plastic piece, and just use clear box tape to attach it back to the door (make sure you have cleaned all of the black sealant off of the door first). By using the clear tape, it is a lot easier to apply, and its easier to remove again.

Thats a good idea on the template. I'll give it a try. I'm going to get a tube of the black goop and fasten it the same way GM did, though. I dont want to be able to ever tell the door was replaced. It needs to be perfectly stock, I'm funny that way.

[ONLNTM5]

Thats a good idea on the template. I'll give it a try. I'm going to get a tube of the black goop and fasten it the same way GM did, though. I dont want to be able to ever tell the door was replaced. It needs to be perfectly stock, I'm funny that way.

I understand, because I am very particular about the details myself. I tried the sealant thing the first time that I ever did it, and made a big mess, so I adopted the clear tape approach -Good luck with everything.

[TraceZ]

If taking all that crap apart once is fun, doing it twice is even better. I just got done removing the damaged door from the car and disassembling it. I'm making real progress.

Where do I go to get replacements for those rivets I drilled out to remove the glass? I hope I dont have to pay some auto glass guy to do it. It seems simple enough if I just have the rivets and rivet gun for it.

I've been doing prep work on the new door all day in between the other tasks. It looks pretty good now. There were a couple spots on it that needed a little grinding and body filler to correct but I cant even find them anymore the repair job was so perfect. I just need to scuff up and prime the jambs and inside face. Next big task will be taking both doors to a paint shop. I'm hoping that they can use the old door to test the color to make sure it matches perfectly. I figure they can mix it and spray a little on a corner of the old door to see if it blends perfectly. If it doesnt, they can alter the mix and try again until it is perfect. I cant wait to have this nightmare over. cost so far: $145 for the door and $30 in supplies to prep it.

[94 formula]

I do not know very much about body work\painting but I think that the shop will probably paint more than just the door. They'll probably paint a little ways up onto the front fender and onto the back fender to make a perfect blend. BTW I got nailed three times last January\February ( were my fault) all were on the driver door and rear fender. You'd never know my car was touched a good body shop can do some amazing things. The guy told me if my rear fender gets hit again its going to have to get replaced.

[Mike71]

those rivets are just pop rivets arent they? just take the rivit to home depot or lowes or whatever u have and tell the guy u need 3 just like it..he should be able to set u up

[z28_xxx]

rivets

They are special rivets you can get from GM.

I opted for bolt/screws as there is no way in hell you can do them with
the stuff in the car.

those rivets are just pop rivets arent they? just take the rivit to home depot or lowes or whatever u have and tell the guy u need 3 just like it..he should be able to set u up

[ONLNTM5]

Hey, Tracy
Are you having fun yet? Its amazing how these "little projects" can turn into little nightmares. The riveter for those size rivets can range in price from $50.00 and up. I have used them when I worked at a business that rebuilt Tractor trailer trucks. Something that I don't understand-did you have to take the doors apart, because the new door had a power window, and the old door didn't, or visa versa? Anyway, an auto glass place can put a couple of rivets in for you. You could wait until you have the door painted and installed on your car, and then take the whole car to one of your local auto glass places to have them install the door glass. Also, there are some mobile auto glass businesses in most towns and cities. You might be able to call one of these to find out how much they would charge to come by your house to put a couple of rivets in for you. You would probably save a few dollars doing it one of those ways, but you may want to check with your local auto parts/paint store, and see if they sell the riveters and rivets. Also, most cities have "Fastener Services" which are business that just sell fasteners and fastener tools. Look in the yellow pages under "Fasteners". You may want to consider just buying a riveter if you are going to spend around 3/4 of the price to have someone else do the riveting for you. That way, you will have it for any future projects that come up. Those big rivets are used throughout a lot of cars, especially in the doors, and you may want to just go ahead and invest in one, for the convenience of having one handy. Keep something in mind though. It takes a little "muscle" to work that riveter, and whenever you pop that rivet in, you better have safety glasses on, because it will shoot the waste part of the rivet right back at your face. Believe me, I found that one out the hard way.

Now, I have a little bit of experience with working on automobile doors, and auto glass as well, but I can't remember the exact dynamics of the window glass and the part of the track that the glass fits into. Its been a while, and I would have to look at one to refresh my memory. I know that you can tap threads into the window tracks to bolt them to the door again, if you are replacing a window track in a door. I would suspect that you can do the same with the part that the window fits in. You may want to try that first. I don't remember what the size of the tap and bolts that I used were, but it worked pretty good, and it was very tight. The only thing about the lower track part was that the metal is kind of thin, and I was only able to get about 2-3 threads into the metal. I put the bolts in and used super glue in place of “loctite”. They held surprisingly good, but I went ahead and put nuts on the back side, just for extra hold. That was the hard part, because there is not much room to get your hand back there. I found that I could use some of that real sticky black sealant that was all over the door, by putting some of it on the nut, and then sticking it to my finger. I was then able reach back there with the nut stuck to my finger, and line it up with the bolt. Now this was in the lower track. I don’t know if you could do this in the upper part where the glass goes in. Also, you have to be careful not to tighten the nuts too tight, because it could break the glass. You do have another door glass though, don’t you? If you do try the tap thing, and it doesn’t work, and you have to rivet it anyway, you may then have to use a washer on the back side of the rivet, because the threading will make the hole a little larger and a little looser. Anyway, good luck.

[TraceZ]

Hey, Tracy
Are you having fun yet? Its amazing how these "little projects" can turn into little nightmares. The riveter for those size rivets can range in price from $50.00 and up. I have used them when I worked at a business that rebuilt Tractor trailer trucks. Something that I don't understand-did you have to take the doors apart, because the new door had a power window, and the old door didn't, or visa versa? Anyway, an auto glass place can put a couple of rivets in for you. You could wait, until you have the door painted and installed on your car, and then take the whole car to one of your local auto glass places to have them install the door glass. Also, there are some mobile auto glass businesses in most towns and cities. You might be able to call one of these to find out how much they would charge to come by your house to put a couple of rivets in for you. You would probably save a few dollars doing it one of those ways, but you may want to check with your local auto parts/paint store, and see if they sell the riveters and rivets. Also, most cities have "Fastener Services" which are business that just sell fasteners and fastener tools. Look in the yellow pages under "Fasteners". You may want to consider just buying a riveter if you are going to spend around 3/4 of the price to have someone else do the riveting for you. That way, you will have it for any future projects that come up. Those big rivets are used throughout a lot of cars, especially in the doors, and you may want to just go ahead and invest in one, for the convenience of having one handy. Keep something in mind though. It takes a little "muscle" to work that riveter, and whenever you pop that rivet in, you better have safety glasses on, because it will shoot the waste part of the rivet right back at your face. Believe me, I found that one out the hard way.

Now, I have a little bit of experience with working on automobile doors, and auto glass as well, but I can't remember the exact dynamics of the window glass and the part of the track that the glass fits into. Its been a while, and I would have to look at one to refresh my memory. I know that you can tap threads into the window tracks to bolt them to the door again, if you are replacing a window track in a door. I would suspect that you can do the same with the part that the window fits in. You may want to try that first. I don't remember what the size of the tap and bolts that I used were, but it worked pretty good, and it was very tight. The only thing about the lower track part was that the metal is kind of thin, and I was only able to get about 2-3 threads into the metal. I put the bolts in and used super glue in place of “loctite”. They held surprisingly good, but I went ahead and put nuts on the back side, just for extra hold. That was the hard part, because there is not much room to get your hand back there. I found that I could use some of that real sticky black sealant that was all over the door, by putting some of it on the nut, and then sticking it to my finger. I was then able reach back there with the nut stuck to my finger, and line it up with the bolt. Now this was in the lower track. I don’t know if you could do this in the upper part where the glass goes in. Also, you have to be careful not to tighten the nuts too tight, because it could break the glass. You do have another door glass though, don’t you? If you do try the tap thing, and it doesn’t work, and you have to rivet it anyway, you may then have to use a washer on the back side of the rivet, because the threading will make the hole a little larger and a little looser. Anyway, good luck.

We do have a mobile auto glass place here in town. I'll call them and ask how much to come put 3 rivets in a otherwise bare door. I thought about using bolts instead, I'll give the rivets a try first. I do have a "spare" window incase one gets broken.

I considered leaving the glass in the new door and just using it. I decided that I wanted to paint the entire door without having to mask anything off, so I took the window out. The window mechanism isnt really all that bad once you figure it out. It's like a easy puzzle in that if you do it once, it is easy the next time.

My brother is coming over today to help me test fit the new door on the car. Once we achieve proper fit I'll get it to a body shop for paint.